Tha Roots

In Bakari Kitwana's 2003 book The Hip Hop Generation, he argued that "although hip hop has secured its place as a cultural movement, its biggest challenge lies ahead," referring to the form's potential as a mobilizing political force. We imagine a statement like this to be eminently quease-inducing to certain parties currently in power, and it speaks to the vaulted role hip-hop holds in society. The Hip Hop Project, a documentary funded by unlikely partners Queen Latifah (no stranger to rhymin' herself) and Bruce Willis, takes hip-hop out of the bling-and-ho context and back to its street-corner roots by following several kids who collaborate on a community hip-hop album. A panel discussion and performances by local b-boys and b-girls follow.
Fri., Nov. 30, 7 p.m., 2007